Trout Fishing Guide

Trout, Salmon & ColdwaterDocumented in 104 graded lakes across 1 state

Trout species like Trout need cold, oxygen-rich water year-round — that constraint limits Trout to 104 lakes in the 49 states and 2 Canadian provinces LakeQuality covers, mostly the deeper or spring-fed basins. Trout is moderately distributed — 104 lakes in Wisconsin. Some counties have it, others do not, so checking the per-lake pages matters.

Trout presence is itself a water-quality signal: a the 49 states and 2 Canadian provinces LakeQuality covers lake that supports a Trout population is almost certainly running cold enough and oxygenated enough to also support healthier overall water quality. Trout-supporting lakes are almost universally A- or B-grade — the cold, deep, well-oxygenated conditions trout need produce the higher grades almost as a side effect.

Trout Seasonal Forecast & Techniques

Part of the LakeQuality Fishing Forecast. Spawn trigger: Coldwater species that need clean, cold, oxygen-rich water; spawn timing varies by species. Forage: Insects, invertebrates, and baitfish. For a forecast tuned to a specific lake's measured clarity and depth, open that lake's forecast.

Season	Where they hold	Structure & cover	Technique
Spring	shallow-to-mid 3–15 ft	nearshore and inflows while water is cold	spoons, spinners, flies, bait
Summer	deep near thermocline	cold, oxygenated depths	trolling deep; low-light shallow windows
Fall	shallow-to-mid 3–20 ft	cooling water brings them up	spoons, spinners, flies
Winter / Ice	5–25 ft	clear lakes / stocked ice fishery	small jigs, spoons, bait

Clear-water tactics:spoons, spinners & flies, light linenatural presentationsStained-water tactics:brighter spoons — but trout favor clear, cold water

104

Total Lakes

104

Wisconsin lakes →

Avg. Grade

58 ft

Avg. Depth

Water Quality of Trout Lakes

43%

Best Trout Lakes by Water Quality

Top 50 lakes with trout ranked by overall water quality grade.

Rank	Lake	County	State	Grade	Depth	Species
1	Green Lake	Green Lake	WI	A	236 ft	7
2	Geneva Lake	Walworth	WI	A	135 ft	6
3	Whitefish Lake	Sawyer	WI	A	105 ft	7
4	Ashegon Lake	Sawyer	WI	A	56 ft	6
5	Malone Lake	Shawano	WI	A	31 ft	3
6	Lake Noquebay	Marinette	WI	B	51 ft	6
7	Beaver Dam Lake	Barron	WI	B	106 ft	6
8	Silver Lake	Barron	WI	B	91 ft	6
9	Mirror Lake	Waupaca	WI	B	43 ft	4
10	Deep Lake	Adams	WI	B	49 ft	4
11	Beasley Lake	Waupaca	WI	B	47 ft	6
12	Clear Lake	Oneida	WI	B	95 ft	6
13	Lake Lucerne	Forest	WI	B	73 ft	6
14	Long Lake	Waupaca	WI	B	76 ft	7
15	Rock Lake	Kenosha	WI	B	33 ft	3
16	Crescent Lake	Polk	WI	B	43 ft	2
17	Wolf Lake	Adams	WI	B	58 ft	4
18	Lake Emily	Portage	WI	B	35 ft	5
19	Jordan Lake	Adams	WI	B	92 ft	5
20	Squash Lake	Oneida	WI	B	74 ft	6
21	Bahr Lake	Shawano	WI	B	44 ft	4
22	Thunder Lake	Marinette	WI	B	62 ft	3
23	Krohns Lake	Kewaunee	WI	B	38 ft	3
24	Crystal Lake	Marquette	WI	B	60 ft	3
25	Stratton Lake	Waupaca	WI	B	42 ft	4
26	Wood Lake	Marquette	WI	B	53 ft	4
27	Horseshoe Lake	Manitowoc	WI	B	54 ft	4
28	Lower Nashotah Lake	Waukesha	WI	B	43 ft	6
29	Sunset Lake	Portage	WI	B	55 ft	3
30	Black Oak Lake	Vilas	WI	B	85 ft	6
31	Spring Lake	Manitowoc	WI	B	23 ft	4
32	Clark Lake	Door	WI	B	25 ft	6
33	Korth Lake	Shawano	WI	B	48 ft	4
34	Tozer Lake	Washburn	WI	B	53 ft	4
35	Moose Lake	Langlade	WI	B	20 ft	4
36	Moshawquit Lake	Menominee	WI	B	30 ft	4
37	Lost Lake	Florence	WI	B	45 ft	2
38	Columbia Lake	Waupaca	WI	B	72 ft	7
39	Shoe Lake	Manitowoc	WI	B	34 ft	4
40	Elkhart Lake	Sheboygan	WI	B	119 ft	7
41	Lake Julia	Oneida	WI	B	45 ft	7
42	Clarey Lake	Polk	WI	B	49 ft	1
43	Tichigan Lake	Racine	WI	B	63 ft	7
44	West Alaska Lake	Kewaunee	WI	B	41 ft	3
45	Red Bass Lake	Vilas	WI	B	22 ft	3
46	Patten Lake	Florence	WI	B	52 ft	4
47	Springville Pond	Portage	WI	B	10 ft	3
48	Taylor Lake	Waupaca	WI	B	58 ft	6
49	Little Trout Lake	Vilas	WI	B	98 ft	6
50	Green Lake	Green Lake	WI	B	236 ft	7

Showing top 50 of 104 lakes with trout.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many lakes have trout?

Trout are found in 104 graded lakes: 104 in Wisconsin. The average water quality grade of lakes with trout is B (Good).

What are the best lakes for trout?

The best trout lakes by water quality are Green Lake, Geneva Lake, Whitefish Lake, Ashegon Lake, Malone Lake. These lakes have the highest water quality grades among all lakes where trout have been documented by state DNR surveys.

What other fish are found with trout?

Trout are most commonly found alongside panfish, largemouth bass, northern pike, walleye, smallmouth bass. These species share similar habitat preferences in the region's lakes.

Other Fish Species in Trout Lakes

Panfish Lakes

Found together in 100 lakes · 1,152 total

Largemouth Bass Lakes

Found together in 98 lakes · 2,593 total

Northern Pike Lakes

Found together in 63 lakes · 2,487 total

Walleye Lakes

Found together in 48 lakes · 1,982 total

Smallmouth Bass Lakes

Found together in 42 lakes · 953 total

Musky Lakes

Found together in 19 lakes · 419 total

Fish species from state agency survey, stocking, and public fishing-access records; water-quality grades from the EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys. Species profiles are general reference; always check current state regulations before fishing.